Goal: Apologize to employee fired for reporting dog locked in truck to have her job

Recently, Walmart employee Carla Cheney of Ontario, Canada was fired from her job after she confronted a customer about a dog trapped in his truck on a hot day. She was told to report future incidents of animals being locked in cars to her manager. When she told him that she would continue to call the police if she saw something unsafe, she was immediately terminated. Cheney worries that other Walmart employees may be put in the same position as her. Walmart has not commented on this incident nor apologized to Cheney for her unfair termination.

Cheney was outside the Walmart before her shift began when she witnessed a customer leave his dog in his truck with the windows nearly completely rolled up, after the dog had previously tried to jump out of the truck twice. When the customer left the store, he confronted Cheney. She told him that if she saw him put a dog into this situation again, she would call the police. The next day, Cheney was called into her manager’s office and told to report any future incidents to him. Previously, the manager had told her there was nothing that could be done in that situation. Cheney protested that she would call the police if she saw an animal in an unsafe situation. She was immediately told to hand over her employee vest and badge and leave the store.

Cheney still holds that she did nothing wrong in this situation. She says she was not on the clock at the time of the incident, and ‘I don’t think it should be an issue even if I was on the clock … because it’s on the news and we’re being told not to leave animals and children in cars.’ She worries that other employees may be faced with the choice of protecting an animal in danger or protecting their own jobs. This is not a choice that they should have to make. Cheney did nothing more than try to protect an animal in real danger. She should not have been fired for this incident. Demand that Wal-Mart apologize to Cheney for this unfair treatment.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Ms. Broader:

Recently, Walmart employee Carla Cheney of Kemptville, Ontario was fired from her job after reporting a dog locked in a truck on a hot day. She was told to bring further incidents to her manager, who had previously told her that nothing could be done for the suffering animal. When Cheney stayed adamant that she would call the police if she saw an animal in danger, she was immediately terminated.

I ask you to apologize to Cheney for this unfair termination. She should not have been fired for concern over the well-being of animals. It is common for pets to suffocate when locked in hot vehicles, and Cheney’s actions are only to prevent this from occurring. Because of this incident, other employees may fear to protect suffering animals at the risk of losing their own jobs. Apologize to Cheney because she was only doing what is right.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

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I am confused. No one should ever leave a dog in harms way, but with that being said, there is a large part of the story missing. “When the customer left the store, he confronted Cheney.” Why would a customer walk out of the store and start confronting employees who from the rest of the article sounds like she was just observing. There is a lot more to it than just she told management about a dog and got fired. I never take my dog when it is hot outside, and if I think I will be more than a few minutes in the store I won’t take my dog when it isn’t hot. They are safer at home. I have called the police when dogs were left in the cars when it was hot (and the person was not just in and out) and so has my local Wal-Mart. One management of Wal-Mart should not condemn the entire corporation. I will not be signing the petition because there is too much of the story missing. There is too much unsaid and it seems to me there is more involved then this lady wants people to know.